Dutch Research Council: women in scientific careers
Dr. Wilma van Donselaar Paris 2005 Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek
What is NWO? • NWO is the Dutch Research Council and consists of 8 councils: Humanities, Social Sciences, Medical Sciences, Chemical Sciences, Physical Sciences, Physics, Life Sciences, Technical Sciences • Estimated annual budget M€ 450 • 4300 Researchers employed thanks to NWO funding (but NWO is not the employer) Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek
The Dutch Case – state of the art In 1999: 20% female assistant professors 7 % female associate professors 5 % female full professors In 2004: 27% female assistant professors 14% female associate professors 9 % female full professors Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek
NWO policy ¾ No age limits for grants / extension clause ¾ Systematic collection of male/female ratio in applications and grants ¾ Representation of women in committees and boards ¾ Special programmes for women ¾ Mainstreaming: women in the Veni-Vidi-Vici scheme ¾ Communication
Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek
No age limits / Extension clause - No age limitations for grants – Extension clause in case of seniority rules (like submission within maximum no. of years after PhD): for extended sick, parental, maternity or care leave within the relevant period
Maximally 5 years!
Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek
Monitoring application and grant figures NWO yearbook gives the granting percentages of male and female researchers: grants total _________________ per sex applications total
Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek
Monitoring application and grant figures Yearbook 2004 – – – – –
Veni/Vidi/Vici & talent NWO-themes Travel grants Infrastructure New developments (a.o. open competition) – Other TOTAL
Granting percentages MALE 31% 46% 70% 50% 34%
FEMALE 35% 39% 82% 75% 31%
73% 45%
59% 48%
Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek
Monitoring application and grant figures Yearbook 2004 – – – – – –
Numbers of applications
MALE Veni/Vidi/Vici & talent 563 NWO-themes 323 Travel grants 461 Infrastructure 058 New developments 1070 (a.o. open competition) Other 296 TOTAL 2770
Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek
FEMALE 271 ! 046 157 004 135 079 692
Representation in committees and boards – Increase in the participation of female members – Female members hard to get!
Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek
Special programmes for women Aspasia – All fields – Aim: promotion of female assistant professors to associate professor level – Subsidy rounds in 2000 en 2002 – Grants NWO (70): PhD project or two-year postdoc – Promotions by universities (total 140) – Direct increase in female associate professors: (7⇒14%) Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek
Special programmes for women Aspasia.. What next? Evaluation - Positive effects: direct: more associate professors indirect: more full professors (8 out of 30 within 3 yrs) - Negative effects: postponement of regular promotions, low status positive action (women-only competition), small budget, low participation in regular competition? Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek
Special programmes for women Aspasia-new style
Stimulates participation in regular prestigeous talent competition (Vidi/Vici) Universities are asked to promote female laureates to associate or full professor level within 1 year If so, universities will receive a €100.000 premium per candidate (max. 20 per year) Premium must be used for the promotion of women scientists (variety of options) Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek
Special programmes for women Meervoud - Fields: Life Sciences, Physical Sciences, Chemical Sciences - Aim: appointment of female post-doc researchers as assistant professors - Roof tile construction (subsidy 0.6 fte for 4 years) - Period 2000-2005: 22 grants Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek
Special programmes for women FOm/v – Field: physics – Aim: promote female physicists – Since 1999 – Roof tile grants (10, incl. 3 prof.), post-doc grants (7), additional grants (7), travel grants – FOm/v congress (every two years) – Minerva publication award (every two years) Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek
Mainstreaming: women in Veni/Vidi/Vici Veni/Vidi/Vici scheme
(m/f)
- Aim: Excellent researchers in various career stages get the opportunity to carry out research of their own choice and have better career prospects within academia. - Since 2001 annually: - Veni: 0-3 yr after PhD ⇒ 125 grants (k€ 200) - Vidi : 3-8 yr after PhD ⇒ 75 grants (k€ 600) - Vici : 8-15 yr after PhD ⇒ 25 grants (k€ 1.250) Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek
Mainstreaming: women in Veni/Vidi/Vici ¾Universities will encourage female researchers to participate in this programme ¾NWO guarantees that granting percentages for female candidates will be minimally equally high as for male candidates (averaged over several years). ¾Ministry provides 2 million euro annually (since 2004) for extra Vidi and Vici grants for women who have been rated as ‘very good or excellent’. Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek
Women in Veni/Vidi/Vici Percentage Applications (A) and Grants (G): (female / total m+f)
2002 2003 2004 2005
Veni A 34% 38% 40% 40%
G 40% 38% 38%
Vidi A 21% 22% 26% 35%
G 20% 16% 30% 34%
Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek
Vici A 13% 25% 18% 20%
G 13% 23% 21%
Communication – Publications, activities and PR-materials attention for female scientistis and avoidance of traditional images, gender-neutral language – Complaints are treated seriously! Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek
